Formula and related specifications:
Public working draft overview
Public Working Draft dated 2008-02-14
This document:
	XBRL-Formulas-Overview-PWD-2008-02-14.rtf
is non-normative.
Editors
Geoff Shuetrim	geoff@galexy.net	Galexy Pty. Limited	
Abstract
This document explains the various materials issued as a part of the public working draft released by the Formula Working Group (FWG).
Status
Circulation of this Public Working Draft is unrestricted.  Recipients of this draft are invited to submit comments to Geoff Shuetrim, and to submit notification of any relevant patent rights of which they are aware and to provide supporting documentation.

Table of Contents
1 Introduction	1
2 Requirements	2
3 Specifications	2
4 Schemas	2
5 Examples	3
6 Conformance suite tests	3
7 Function registry	3
8 Focus issues	3
A. Intellectual Property Status (non-normative)	3
B. Document History (non-normative)	4
C. Approval process (non‑normative)	4

1	Introduction
This document provides an overview of this Public Working Draft (PWD).  It describes the various materials included in the PWD by the Formula Working Group (FWG).  It also lists a series of issues about which the FWG hope to receive specific feedback to drive the next steps of the specification development process.
The PWD includes:
•	the requirements agreed by the FWG;
•	specifications for various components of the formula specification; and
•	normative schemas for the specifications.
2	Requirements
The requirements agreed upon by the FWG are included in the PWD.  There is a document for formula requirements and a document for XBRL instance validation requirements. These requirements are accompanied by motivating examples.
These have not been altered since the previous public working draft.
3	Specifications
The formula specification has been modularised, resulting in a large number of specification documents.
The specifications in this PWD are:
●	Validation
●	Consistency assertions
●	Value assertions
●	Existence assertions
●	Formulae
●	Variables
●	Various filters
●	Generic labels
●	Generic references
These specifications depend on the public working draft of the generic link specification.
Some individuals may find it easier to read the variable specification first, followed by some or all of the the filter specifications.  The formula specification and the assertion specifications may then be more easily understood.
Note that the specifications in this public working draft only address the XBRL report validation usage pattern.  Other specialised usage patterns for formulae will be addressed in extension specifications after the formula specification has reached candidate recommendation status.  Among these usage patterns, priority will be given to tuple creation, and formula chaining.
4	Schemas
A range of XML documents are also included in the PWD.  These can be found in the  directory in the ZIP file containing the PWD.
The  directory contains a directory called .  This directory contains the schemas that support the specifications in the PWD.  Each specification names the schemas that support it.  The names of the files in the  directory correspond to these schema names.
A schema for the generic links is included in this distribution.  This will not be released as part of any candidate recommendation.  Instead, normative schemas will reference the normative version of the schema for generic link constructs.
5	Examples
Formula examples are provided along with this public working draft. They can be found in the  directory
6	Conformance suite tests
A conformance suite is currently under development.  This contains a broad range of examples illustrating usage of the specifications.  Those with access to the FWG CVS repository will be able to explore the latest versions of the test cases.
7	Function registry
The XBRL functions used in the formula and related specifications are now defined in an internal working draft of the XBRL function registry.  These function definitions and associated conformance tests are currently only available to consortium members.
8	Focus issues
Unlike previous working drafts, this fourth public working draft does not contain any significant changes to syntax or processing models compared to the previous public working draft.
While there have been a significant number of alterations based on the feedback to the previous public working draft, all of the alterations rectify problems in the drafting of the specifications rather than problems in their underlying design.
A.	Intellectual Property Status (non-normative)
This document and translations of it may be copied and furnished to others, and derivative works that comment on or otherwise explain it or assist in its implementation may be prepared, copied, published and distributed, in whole or in part, without restriction of any kind, provided that the above copyright notice and this paragraph are included on all such copies and derivative works.  However, this document itself may not be modified in any way, such as by removing the copyright notice or references to XBRL International or XBRL organizations, except as required to translate it into languages other than English.  Members of XBRL International agree to grant certain licenses under the XBRL International Intellectual Property Policy (www.xbrl.org/legal).
This document and the information contained herein is provided on an "AS IS" basis and XBRL INTERNATIONAL DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY WARRANTY THAT THE USE OF THE INFORMATION HEREIN WILL NOT INFRINGE ANY RIGHTS OR ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
The attention of users of this document is directed to the possibility that compliance with or adoption of XBRL International specifications may require use of an invention covered by patent rights. XBRL International shall not be responsible for identifying patents for which a license may be required by any XBRL International specification, or for conducting legal inquiries into the legal validity or scope of those patents that are brought to its attention. XBRL International specifications are prospective and advisory only. Prospective users are responsible for protecting themselves against liability for infringement of patents.  XBRL International takes no position regarding the validity or scope of any intellectual property or other rights that might be claimed to pertain to the implementation or use of the technology described in this document or the extent to which any license under such rights might or might not be available; neither does it represent that it has made any effort to identify any such rights.  Members of XBRL International agree to grant certain licenses under the XBRL International Intellectual Property Policy (www.xbrl.org/legal).
B.	Document History (non-normative)
Date	Editor	Summary	
2007-02-14	Geoff Shuetrim	First draft.	

C.	Approval process (non‑normative)
This document will not be released as a part of any final recommendation.